No to Violence’s Landmark Workforce Development Project

On Tuesday 11 September, No to Violence hosted a Ministerial launch of two landmark projects, funded by the Victorian Government’s Department of Education and Training, to develop Aboriginal and men’s family violence workforces in Victoria.

We would like to officially thank The Hon. Gayle Tierney MP for announcing these projects, Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency (VACCA) for their unwavering commitment and project leadership, and David Coltman, Deputy Vice Chancellor from Swinburne University of Technology, Christine Couzens MP, Family Safety Victoria’s CEO, Sue Clifford, and Victorian Council of Social Service’s (VCOSS) CEO, Emma King, for attending the launch.

The first project will see the development of the Aboriginal workforce in Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations across Victoria, and the second project will greatly boost the capacity of our workforce to identify and respond to men using violence in their relationships and families.

No to Violence is proud to be leading on this important part of the family violence reforms, as we work toward a broad, trained and ready workforce to deliver the range of services our government is bringing into place as part of substantial reforms.

In particular, the focus on innovation from the Department of Education and Training has allowed us the chance to find new ways of doing things, to think outside the box, and to work in partnership with a range of key educational and community stakeholders to ensure that the workforce is trained in supporting our diverse communities. This project will develop a range of resources to support the delivery of specialist services working with perpetrators of family violence, and embed them within a range of institutions and training settings to ensure both new students and our established workers benefit from these learnings.

The project being led by No to Violence will:

– Grow the men’s behaviour change sector by training emerging and current practitioners
– Review the current Graduate Certificate in Client and Case Assessment (Male Family Violence) and recommend improvements
– Increase the trainer workforce for men’s family violence workers
– Increase and improve the quality of supervision in agencies delivering the Graduate Certificate
– Grow family violence literacy among allied sector workers including workers in Alcohol and Other Drugs, Aged Care and Social Housing
– Place new men’s family violence units in existing family violence courses
– Create two manuals: one for use in the Graduate Certificate focused on men’s behaviour change group work; the other on industry and TAFEs collaboration
– Increase and improve the offerings of No to Violence’s current suite of training.

Additionally, the project will:

– Professionalise the men’s family violence workforce with consistent, world-leading practice and training support
– Deliver training to Koorie men’s family violence workers
– Work with TAFEs across Victoria
– Establish Collaborative Practitioner Networks
– Mentor, review and advise on men’s family violence units being taught in institutions
– Develop clearer, more attractive pathways for students looking to work in the men’s family violence sector.

We look forward to this exciting opportunity and are committed to scaling up the men’s family violence workforce, ensuring women, children and men lead safer and happier lives.

For more information about these projects, please contact Amelia Ditcham AmeliaD@ntv.org.au